Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-07

to look upon him calmly, was struck
with his remarkable resemblance to
myself. 1t had always been said that
we were the Counterpart of each other,
but had never before realized how
much alike we were.
"His whereabouts are not KNOWN"
l exclaimed as l gazed upon my pro-
totype, "and my end is momentarily
expected. Can not exchange clothes
with him and permit him in death to
impersonate me?'
In an instant my plans were formed
and was at work upon their execu-
ton. / assumed Joe's tattered gar
ments, dressed him in my neat attire
and so shaved his favce and arranged
his hair, that it would have been inn
possible for even the mother who bore
us, not to have mistaken the dead Joe,
for the living Tom.
Then, as poor, as friendless and as
unknown as though | had never ex-
listed, | crept down stairs and out of
the house. Henceforth, Gilbert Nor
wood would live and prosper in my
place.
CHAPTER ".
"Bradley," said Bill Peters, as he
strobe into our cabin one afternoon,
"here's paper as some of the folks
at home sent me. Mebe you'd like
to look at it,"
"Thank you," I cried, as with
alacrity / seized the Philadelphia Times
which my partner handed me, =" |
shall"
Peters and I, who had assumed the
name of Jim Bradley, were occupying
a log hut in a mining camp in Color
ado, where we were working. l had
not seen familiar face or heard a
word from home since / had ceased
to be Tom Vance, and the sight OF the
well-known Times brought tears to my
eyes. For moment my vision was
SO blurred that 1 could not read line,
but as the mist, which did not want
Peters to detect, cleared away, was
shocked to behold the following head
ing:
HORRIBLE CRIME UNEARTHED-ToM
VANCE DID NOT DIE--HE WAS MUIR
DERED.
Three weeks ago Thomas Vance, a
wealthy and well known young gen.
tleman of this city, died, as it was be-
lieved, of heart disease. He willed
his entire property, consisting of per-
sonal effects, railroad stocks and
United States bonds, and valuable
farm to his friend Gebhit Norwood.
At the time Mr.. Norwood was secretly
engaged to Miss Rose Darlington. the
only child OF Judge Darlington, one
of Germantown s oldest representa-
tives and the quondam guardian of
Tom Vance. When the judge learned
of Norwood's inheritance, he was in
clined to believe that some
thing was amiss, and later on
when he discovered the young mans
relationship to his daughter his suspi-
cions were strengthened. AS the con-
viction grew upon him he reported
the case to the authorities. who had
the body of Vance disinterred and
dissected, thus demonstrating the
fact that the deceased did not die, but
was poisoned. This discovery and
the peculiar circumstances pertaining
to the affair, led to the arrest of Nor
wood, who is now in Jail awaiting his
trial for the murder of his friend.
Mrs. Norwood, the mother of the
prisoner, and at whose house Vance
met his cruel fate, insists upon
her sons innocence, but Judge
Darlington, whose pride is deeply
wounded by the publicity which the
matter has given to his daughter, re-
fuses to be interviewed.
AS ceased reading. the paper fell
from my hands, and the room in
which | sat, grew suddenly dark. l
felt that l was losing consciousness,
and for a moment, struggled to re-
gain my mental balance.
What time is it? l asked in voice
that sounded unlike my own. Five
O'Clock said Peters, and as he spoke,
| fell back upon the floor.
n u
When the light of reason again
dawned upon me, Peters, who was
seated beside my bed, told me, | had
been i'll for eight weeks with brain
fever.
"Then," | exclaimed, as a host of
recollections crowded upon me, "the
trial is over"
"What trial." asked Bill, as he
looked as though he thought my mind
was wandering again.
"The trial of Gilbert Norwood" l
answered, "for the murder of Joe
Vance"
"Oh, yes," he said, "that is over"
"How," l eagerly inquired, "did
"Agin' the pris'ner," said Peters.
"He was found guilty of murder in
the first degree, and / reckon he'll
soon have to hang"
Bill" as every nerve in my body
quivered, 81 must write letter. Get
me pen, ink and paper"
"You can't write," said Peters,
; see how your hands shake"
81 can," answered, "and l SHALL"
Whereupon Bill brought me the de-
sired materials, and with difficulty /
scrawled the following to Judge Car
rington:
"My Dear Friend: The innocence
of Gilbert Norwood must be proven.
If / live to return to Philadelphia, l
shall remove every stain from his
name. If not, charge you, to see
that Justice is done to him. The
man who was found dead at Mrs.
Norwood's, and who was subsequent
ly buried from your house, was not
Tom, but Joe Vance. He committed
suicide by taking poison, as the in
closed letter, which took from his
hand, an hour or two after the breath
had left his body, will certify.
The reason why made the will did,
and why l voluntarily became
dead to the world was because | loved
your daughter too well to see her un-
happy, and l know that unless l made
some sacrifice it would be impossible
for her to marry Norwood. If my
secret had not been wrested from me,
/ should have died with my love
buried in my breast; but as necessity
has at last compelled me to sneak. /